I've been baking some bread and its turned out well all summer and fall. Now its winter (in australia) and I'm finding the bread doesn't rise as much (in fact not very much at all) and the result after baking is its hard as a stone!
I'm not sure whether my dry active yeast is dead or whether I need to add a bit more?
Also the water I add, does it need to be hotter than what i usually add to compensate for the temperature.
It can be around 16-20 degrees celcius room temp when i take the bread out
and in order to test the yeast, it might be a good idea to warm up water a wee bit and to find a warm spot for the dough to rise. Warming the mixer bowl is also an option. Check to see if your oven has a proofing temperature. Another quick fix is to boil a mug of water in the microwave, turn off the oven and shove the mug to a back corner. Then set the dough inside to warm and rise in the steamy environment and close the door. Repeat when the chamber has cooled off.
It does the rising inside the bread machine. It should be warm enough. Its just that it usually rises to overflow the pan just slightly, now it doesnt even get to half the pan.
Do i need add a bit more yeast?
Test your yeast. Dissolve some in a little warm sugar water, wait 10 minutes and see if it froths.
Thanks my yeast is good, could it be I need hotter water because the temperature outside is cooler?
Here is a good article... https://www.weekendbakery.com/posts/a-few-tips-on-dough-temperature/
In the oven, switch off, with just the light on.
Using warm water.
etc.
I suppose you could slightly increase the yeast but you still want the yeast within a normal range.
Thanks. I knead dough in the bread machine. so after the knead is done (about 3 hours) I should take it out and put in oven with light on? Is it too late by that time because usually in summer, my dough has already risen after the cycle is complete.
I would think the bread machine would control the temperature best for the dough. Try troubleshooting your bread machine.
What you can do is, if there is an option, do a quick dough cycle and then bulk ferment in the oven with the light switched on.
If there is only one dough option then you can finish off the bulk ferment in the oven and go by feel.
Or you can assume there has been some bulk ferment and carry one straight onto shaping and final proofing. Worst comes to the worst it would have had only a single rise.